A Fun Fall Frolic!

What a gorgeous season it's been.
A friend and I decided to take some pictures of our little ones who are good friends at church.
But little Caden had other ideas and did not want to hang out with Stella and have pictures taken.
That's ok, we got some great shots anyway! I love this time of year. It's one of the rewards for living in a a part of the country that is hard to live in. I miss the west and my good friends and family, but this definitely helps ease the longing. It has insistently become home in the last 4 of the 11 years we've been here. I use the term insistently because we've been trying to get back west forever but the east has insisted that we stay and settle in.

 Stella digs her ride. I found it at a barn sale 6 yrs ago for $5.00 and got it for Sammy's dolls. Yep, you heard it right. 5. dollars. I'm in love with it, it works great and is still in mint condition for being 40+ yrs old, which is more than I can say for myself!  That's Peg Perego for you.

 We don't use this everyday because it is old and I don't want to put the miles on it, but it's great for photo shoots and sometimes we take her to town with us just for a spin in a classic. It really brightens peoples day when a sweet, friendly little baby like Stella rolls up in this cutie and cocks her head to the side. smiles and says says "HI!" in her high pitched, perfect baby voice.

Funny....Stella wasn't even a thought being entertained when I bought this.

Now we could hardly imagine life without this cheery little imp!

knock knock!

" I hear you like babies around here!" Here's another!"

"Oohhh, and some more leaves!"  

Caden was crying so she was trying to comfort him.

Sweetness.

This was out in the backyard..

The sunset was beautiful and made little halos on their sweet baby heads

They found a rock to exchange. 

We watched the sunset. 

It was perfect. 

There.
Just a little glimpse of a proper New England fall. Hope you liked it!  I do realize I need more pics of the rest of us.  They are forthcoming!

Hi.
(Sheepishly)
It's been a long several months since I blogged. This was supposed to be an at least once a week thing.
Stuff happened, I lost control of my pictures and life for a while. But Things are doing ok now.
I really want my blog to be an image rich experience for people to visit and feel uplifted or be able to relate to - or at the very least relate to escape to. But life is very fickle sometimes, and when ever I aspire to do something, challenges most assuredly show up.  I have had many health challenges to deal with as well and as a result of years of these health problems I've come up with a hybrid of 2 old sayings that goes "that which does not kill us - will most likely try and try again."
We don't always get stronger, sometimes just humbler and maybe...MAYbe wiser and more patient if we accept what we cannot change...at least not right now.
I have SO many photos of what's been going on around here for the last several months, I don't even know where to begin...so we'll begin where we left off in April I guess. If a  picture is worth a thousand words, how much are a thousand pictures worth?
That's about how many I have to share. Where to begin....hmmm.
well, lets start here.....in the garden.

 Spring had sprung and the air was a mixed boquet of beautiful scents. Most of which I cannot identify because we did not plant most of this garden. The previous owners of the property did.
                                         Bless them!

 This boquet is a little more pungent but just as beautiful. It's fresh matured manure from our very own Little Cow.

 We put it in our grow boxes and get planting our veggies....

That was a fun day and I have to thank our dear friends the Mike and Andrea Saunders for helping us for the second year in a row to put in a garden. I'm not a green thumb, I'm a black thumb, so this was a big deal for me. I do believe Andrea is the plant whisperer. She could grow bananas in Antarctica. She is my gardening super hero!


Next up....in May,

Stella and I took a trip to Utah to visit my daughter at school and lots and lots of family!!
We love to visit family and friends whenever we can, we are pretty isolated out here in Connecticut, all our families live in the west. So we had a great time and it looked like this..

 Fist thing I did was go have a Mother's day treatment at Carly's cosmetology school. She did a nice job on my hair and nails. We had a good time.

Stella good timed herself right out!

Then we went to my Brothers and hung out and had a good dinner and good times like always. His kids are so funny. Stella had her first pickle and loved it! Didn't give it any thought, just another yummy food!

Mmmmmm, pickles! 

Tyson decided that they should have an awkward faces photo contest. 

Kenny won.  

We also made camp at Steve and Terressa's.....and Fender's...home.

 Stella and Fender have a "special" relationship.
They always have since their first meeting when she was newborn. He has always been very interested and protective of her. She thinks he's pretty awesome too.











Here, Stella is saying....."Fender, you're such a great host but I have to go soon. But  I'll be back, I promise, I'll be back!  Please don't cry buddy...then I'll cry too, it will be messy & slobbery & hairy. "

We also loved watching Fender capture evil balloons!! 

Stella was having trouble deciding what to wear one day......Then later at cousins she had her first strawberry! 

More please!!

Cousins are the mostest funnest !!

 Stella is a great traveller and .....

Had a nice visit and cuddle with Gramama while I had all the mercury removed from my old fillings. 

Then we got to go to Cousin Teressa's studio so I could get my hair cut. Stella was a good girl! Or maybe she was probably a little tipsy from all the product odors in there!

Either way we had a good time with cousins!Also of note PROPS to cousin Tress for sprucing up the awesome little Emmaljunga stroller. It's called the Dennis and I had bought if when Billy, my oldest son was a baby...22 years ag...o. Wow, was it that long ago??? Whoa. Anyway, she did a bang up job and everywhere we went people were begging to know where we got this cute little buggy! Sadly these are no longer available anywhere anymore. That's why I was so thrilled that Teressa did such a great job breathing new life into this sweet little ride! BRAVO TRESS!

Then later we did a little late night shopping with cousin Tress. As you can see Stella is shocked to still be aloud to be awake so late!!

 

She was very ...very helpful and inspected every piece of produce scrupulously before it was aloud in the cart. 

This of course can be exhausting.....

..but we still managed a little more fun with big sis, Carly

And then, after a good nights sleep we ended our tour back at Aunt Marialice's house, crawling EVERYWHERE and investigating EVERYTHING!!

 They had great conversations and ....

 Played some seriously FUN games!

That Aunt Marialice sure knows how to show a baby a good time!!

Then suddenly we were home, in our bed, well, in my bed. Relaxing in the familiar sights, smells and sounds that only home can provide. Even after a great trip to visit loved ones, it's good to be home.We both had a nice long snoooze, well at least I did. : )    Next up...Mothers Day post. Stay tuned! 

Reveling in the big changes.....

OK!
A lot has happened in the last month, sorry I have been a slacker...

But let's see, there was this....

She's was getting all uppity and crazy in her little hanging cradle......ready to do a face plant on the floor

as you can see, she's quite the sassy little chick!

And this is the....sniff....last picture of her...dab, sniff,  in her sweet little hanging basket. .... : (

Sooo, goodbye charming, sweet, hanging baby basket....We will miss your gentle, smooth, soundless glide and timeless beauty. Your effortless way with soothing a restless babe when mama's arms are tired.  You've been a loyal and beautiful friend. Till next time.....like....for grandkids!  (Don't get excited people..there's no next time for me!)  Adieu, fair cradle, adieu.


THEN came this.......

A GREEEEAT BIIIIG CRIIIIB!!! (cue booming, echoing voice)
She hardly knew what to do with all this space....for a few seconds.....then....

                                                    ...she knew EXACTLY what to do...

and she did it!!

                     Again.....

                                                                                  

                                                                                        ......and again

.........and again

  

SO

                        that's one of the things that has been keeping us busy......

and Stella too!

She is very much a busy Taylor.....

But occasionally, she takes a break....

and catches.....

a few   .................................

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzsss.. 

BUT THEN.....  

She wakes up!!!!

She's afraid she missed everything great that happened in the world like this............

Or this..........

But I pick her up and tell her I understand and that it will all be ok. There will always be baskets of 

clean, folded laundry to fling around with glee and rolls of toilet paper to unroll with wild abandon and 

many more kitty's tails to yank and chew while enjoying the sounds she makes! And don't forget your favorite, many more important papers to chew and shred. 

Yes, Stella it'll all be there when you wake up. 

I tell myself the same thing when I feel like life is passing me by 

BUT, this I know. I will NEVER get a second chance to do this.....

Having a last baby at 43 (now44)

is kinda like an encore.

Sorta like a bonus track you didn't know was on an album

It's a bit like getting the opportunity to travel back in time to new parenthood but

with the added perk of being experienced...and in our case, VERY experienced. Our oldest is now 22.

We are having such a grand time of it! I don't want to sleep either.....Don't want to miss a second!